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Ransomware : Your Feared IT Disaster
Ransomware has become a too-frequent cyberplague that presents an extinction-level danger for organizations poorly prepared for an assault. Versions of ransomware like the CrySIS, Fusob, Bad Rabbit, NotPetya and MongoLock cryptoworms have been circulating for many years and still cause destruction. Newer variants of ransomware like Ryuk, Maze, Sodinokibi, DopplePaymer, LockBit or Nephilim, plus frequent as yet unnamed malware, not only do encryption of online critical data but also infect all accessible system protection. Files replicated to the cloud can also be corrupted. In a poorly designed data protection solution, this can render any restoration hopeless and basically knocks the datacenter back to square one.

Recovering services and data after a ransomware intrusion becomes a race against time as the targeted business struggles to contain, clear the crypto-ransomware, and resume enterprise-critical operations. Because ransomware takes time to spread, penetrations are usually sprung at night, when penetrations are likely to take longer to uncover. This multiplies the difficulty of promptly mobilizing and coordinating a knowledgeable response team.

Progent has an assortment of solutions for securing enterprises from ransomware events. Among these are team member training to become familiar with and avoid phishing scams, ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) for remote monitoring and management, along with installation of next-generation security appliances with AI capabilities from SentinelOne to detect and disable zero-day threats rapidly. Progent also provides the services of expert crypto-ransomware recovery consultants with the talent and perseverance to re-deploy a compromised environment as urgently as possible.

Progent's Ransomware Restoration Services
Soon after a crypto-ransomware penetration, sending the ransom demands in cryptocurrency does not provide any assurance that cyber hackers will respond with the needed codes to decipher any or all of your files. Kaspersky ascertained that 17% of crypto-ransomware victims never recovered their files even after having paid the ransom, resulting in more losses. The gamble is also very costly. Ryuk ransoms are often several hundred thousand dollars. For larger enterprises, the ransom demand can reach millions of dollars. The fallback is to piece back together the mission-critical parts of your Information Technology environment. Absent the availability of complete data backups, this calls for a wide range of skills, top notch project management, and the willingness to work non-stop until the recovery project is completed.

For decades, Progent has made available professional IT services for businesses throughout the United States and has earned Microsoft's Partnership certification in the Datacenter and Cloud Productivity competencies. Progent's pool of subject matter experts includes professionals who have been awarded top industry certifications in leading technologies like Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and major distributions of Linux. Progent's security consultants have garnered internationally-renowned certifications including CISA, CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, SANS GIAC, and CMMC 2.0. (Visit Progent's certifications). Progent in addition has experience in financial management and ERP applications. This breadth of experience gives Progent the capability to efficiently determine critical systems and organize the surviving pieces of your Information Technology system following a ransomware event and configure them into an operational network.

Progent's security group has top notch project management systems to coordinate the complicated restoration process. Progent knows the importance of working swiftly and in unison with a client's management and IT staff to assign priority to tasks and to get critical applications back on line as soon as humanly possible.

Client Story: A Successful Ransomware Virus Response
A small business engaged Progent after their network system was taken over by Ryuk ransomware. Ryuk is thought to have been deployed by North Korean state sponsored criminal gangs, possibly adopting strategies exposed from America's National Security Agency. Ryuk targets specific organizations with limited ability to sustain disruption and is one of the most profitable iterations of crypto-ransomware. Major organizations include Data Resolution, a California-based info warehousing and cloud computing firm, and the Chicago Tribune. Progent's customer is a single-location manufacturer headquartered in Chicago and has around 500 workers. The Ryuk event had shut down all business operations and manufacturing processes. Most of the client's system backups had been directly accessible at the beginning of the intrusion and were encrypted. The client was pursuing financing for paying the ransom demand (exceeding $200,000) and hoping for good luck, but in the end brought in Progent.

Progent worked with the client to rapidly get our arms around and prioritize the mission critical applications that had to be restored to make it possible to continue departmental operations:

• Windows Active Directory
• Email
• Accounting/MRP

Within 48 hours, Progent was able to restore Active Directory services to its pre-attack state. Progent then helped perform reinstallations and hard drive recovery on needed applications. All Microsoft Exchange Server ties and attributes were usable, which facilitated the rebuild of Exchange. Progent was able to find non-encrypted OST files (Outlook Email Offline Folder Files) on staff workstations to recover email information. A recent off-line backup of the customer's manufacturing software made it possible to recover these required services back online. Although a large amount of work still had to be done to recover fully from the Ryuk damage, critical systems were returned to operations rapidly:

During the next couple of weeks key milestones in the restoration project were completed in tight collaboration between Progent team members and the customer:

• Internal web sites were returned to operation without losing any data.
• The MailStore Exchange Server exceeding 4 million archived messages was brought on-line and available for users.
• CRM/Orders/Invoicing/AP/AR/Inventory modules were 100 percent restored.
• A new Palo Alto Networks 850 security appliance was installed and configured.
• Nearly all of the user PCs were being used by staff.

Conclusion
A probable business extinction catastrophe was evaded by top-tier professionals, a wide spectrum of IT skills, and tight collaboration. Although in analyzing the event afterwards the ransomware attack detailed here could have been blocked with current security systems and ISO/IEC 27001 best practices, staff training, and appropriate incident response procedures for data protection and applying software patches, the reality is that state-sponsored cybercriminals from China, Russia, North Korea and elsewhere are tireless and will continue. If you do get hit by a ransomware incident, feel confident that Progent's roster of experts has substantial experience in crypto-ransomware virus blocking, mitigation, and information systems restoration.

To read or download a PDF version of this case study, please click:
Progent's Ransomware Virus Recovery Case Study Datasheet. (PDF - 282 KB)

Additional Ransomware Protection Services Offered by Progent
Progent can provide businesses in Alpharetta a portfolio of online monitoring and security assessment services designed to help you to reduce the threat from ransomware. These services incorporate modern machine learning technology to detect new strains of ransomware that are able to escape detection by legacy signature-based anti-virus solutions.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent's server and desktop remote monitoring service that incorporates advanced remote monitoring and management (RMM) techniques to keep your network operating efficiently by tracking the state of critical computers that power your information system. When ProSight LAN Watch uncovers a problem, an alert is sent automatically to your specified IT personnel and your Progent engineering consultant so that any potential problems can be resolved before they have a chance to impact your network. Learn more details about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop monitoring consulting.

• ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM: Centralized RMM for Networks, Servers, and Workstations
  ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM software delivers a centralized, cloud-driven platform for monitoring and managing your network, server, and desktop devices by providing tools for performing common tedious jobs. These include health monitoring, patch management, automated remediation, endpoint setup, backup and recovery, anti-virus defense, secure remote access, built-in and custom scripts, asset inventory, endpoint profile reports, and debugging assistance. If ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM uncovers a serious problem, it transmits an alarm to your specified IT personnel and your assigned Progent consultant so potential problems can be taken care of before they impact productivity. Find out more details about ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM server and desktop monitoring services.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Network Infrastructure Remote Monitoring and Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure monitoring and management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for smaller businesses to map, track, reconfigure and troubleshoot their connectivity appliances such as routers and switches, firewalls, and load balancers plus servers, client computers and other networked devices. Using cutting-edge Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch ensures that infrastructure topology diagrams are always current, captures and displays the configuration of virtually all devices connected to your network, tracks performance, and sends notices when potential issues are detected. By automating time-consuming management processes, WAN Watch can knock hours off ordinary chores like making network diagrams, reconfiguring your network, finding appliances that require important software patches, or resolving performance issues. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure monitoring and management consulting.

• ProSight Reporting: In-depth Reporting for Ticketing and Network Monitoring Applications
  ProSight Reporting is an expanding family of in-depth reporting utilities designed to integrate with the top ticketing and remote network monitoring programs such as ConnectWise Manage, ConnectWise Automate, Customer Thermometer, Auvik, and SentinelOne. ProSight Reporting uses Microsoft Graph and features color coding to surface and contextualize key issues like inconsistent support follow-up or endpoints with out-of-date AVs. By exposing ticketing or network health problems clearly and in near-real time, ProSight Reporting improves network value, reduces management overhead, and saves money. For details, visit ProSight Reporting for ticketing and network monitoring applications.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
  Progent has partnered with leading backup/restore software providers to produce ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS), a selection of offerings that deliver backup-as-a-service. ProSight DPS products manage and monitor your backup operations and enable transparent backup and fast recovery of important files/folders, applications, system images, and virtual machines. ProSight DPS helps you protect against data loss resulting from hardware failures, natural disasters, fire, cyber attacks like ransomware, user error, ill-intentioned insiders, or application bugs. Managed backup services available in the ProSight DPS product family include ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, ProSight 365 Total Backup (formerly Altaro 365 Backup), ProSight DPS ECHO Backup based on Barracuda purpose-built storage, and ProSight DPS MSP360 Hybrid Backup. Your Progent expert can assist you to determine which of these managed backup services are most appropriate for your network.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam filtering and email encryption service that uses the technology of top data security companies to provide web-based control and world-class protection for all your email traffic. The powerful structure of Email Guard integrates cloud-based filtering with an on-premises gateway appliance to provide advanced defense against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, DHAs, and other email-based threats. Email Guard's cloud filter acts as a first line of defense and keeps the vast majority of unwanted email from reaching your security perimeter. This decreases your vulnerability to external threats and saves network bandwidth and storage. Email Guard's onsite security gateway device provides a further layer of inspection for incoming email. For outgoing email, the on-premises security gateway offers anti-virus and anti-spam filtering, policy-based Data Loss Prevention, and email encryption. The local security gateway can also assist Exchange Server to track and protect internal email traffic that stays within your corporate firewall. For more details, see Email Guard spam filtering and data leakage protection.

• ProSight Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: Identity Validation, Endpoint Policy Enforcement, and Secure Single Sign-on
  Progent's Duo MFA service plans utilize Cisco's Duo cloud technology to protect against compromised passwords through the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). Duo supports one-tap identity confirmation on iOS, Google Android, and other out-of-band devices. With 2FA, whenever you sign into a secured online account and give your password you are asked to verify who you are on a unit that only you possess and that uses a different network channel. A wide range of devices can be used for this added form of authentication including an iPhone or Android or wearable, a hardware/software token, a landline phone, etc. You may register several verification devices. To find out more about Duo two-factor identity authentication services, go to Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication services.

• Outsourced/Co-managed Service Center: Help Desk Managed Services
  Progent's Support Center services permit your information technology staff to offload Call Center services to Progent or split responsibilities for Help Desk services seamlessly between your in-house network support group and Progent's extensive pool of IT support engineers and subject matter experts. Progent's Shared Service Desk offers a seamless supplement to your in-house IT support group. End user interaction with the Service Desk, delivery of support services, problem escalation, ticket creation and updates, efficiency metrics, and maintenance of the support database are consistent whether issues are taken care of by your in-house support organization, by Progent's team, or both. Learn more about Progent's outsourced/shared Service Center services.

• Active Protection Against Ransomware: Machine Learning-based Ransomware Detection and Remediation
  Progent's Active Protection Against Ransomware is an endpoint protection (EPP) solution that utilizes next generation behavior machine learning tools to defend endpoints and physical and virtual servers against new malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily get by legacy signature-matching AV tools. Progent Active Security Monitoring services protect on-premises and cloud-based resources and offers a unified platform to manage the entire malware attack lifecycle including blocking, detection, containment, remediation, and forensics. Top features include single-click rollback with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service and real-time network-wide immunization against new attacks. Learn more about Progent's ransomware protection and cleanup services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation Management
  Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service is an IT infrastructure documentation management service that makes it easy to create, maintain, retrieve and protect information about your network infrastructure, procedures, business apps, and services. You can quickly locate passwords or serial numbers and be warned about impending expirations of SSLs ,domains or warranties. By updating and organizing your IT documentation, you can save as much as 50% of time thrown away looking for vital information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management includes a centralized repository for storing and sharing all documents required for managing your network infrastructure such as standard operating procedures and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers advanced automation for gathering and relating IT data. Whether you're planning improvements, performing maintenance, or reacting to an emergency, ProSight IT Asset Management delivers the knowledge you need the instant you need it. Find out more about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

• Progent's Patch Management: Patch Management Services
  Progent's support services for software and firmware patch management provide businesses of any size a flexible and affordable solution for assessing, validating, scheduling, applying, and tracking software and firmware updates to your dynamic IT system. Besides maximizing the security and functionality of your computer environment, Progent's software/firmware update management services permit your IT staff to focus on line-of-business initiatives and activities that derive the highest business value from your information network. Read more about Progent's patch management support services.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted VMs at Progent's Tier III Data Center
  With ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small organization can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a secure fault tolerant data center on a fast virtual host set up and managed by Progent's network support professionals. With Progent's ProSight Virtual Hosting model, the customer retains ownership of the data, the operating system software, and the apps. Since the environment is virtualized, it can be moved immediately to an alternate hosting environment without a lengthy and technically risky reinstallation process. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not tied a single hosting provider. Learn more about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring is an endpoint protection solution that incorporates SentinelOne's cutting edge behavior machine learning tools to guard physical and virtual endpoints against modern malware attacks such as ransomware and email phishing, which routinely escape traditional signature-based AV tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring safeguards local and cloud resources and provides a single platform to automate the entire threat progression including blocking, infiltration detection, containment, remediation, and post-attack forensics. Key capabilities include single-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against newly discovered attacks. Progent is a SentinelOne Partner, dealer, and integrator. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring (ASM) endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Physical and Virtual Endpoint Protection and Microsoft Exchange Filtering
  ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) managed services offer economical in-depth security for physical servers and virtual machines, desktops, mobile devices, and Exchange email. ProSight ESP utilizes adaptive security and advanced machine learning for round-the-clock monitoring and responding to security assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP delivers two-way firewall protection, intrusion alarms, endpoint management, and web filtering via cutting-edge technologies incorporated within one agent accessible from a single console. Progent's security and virtualization experts can assist your business to plan and configure a ProSight ESP environment that meets your company's specific requirements and that allows you achieve and demonstrate compliance with government and industry data security standards. Progent will assist you define and configure policies that ProSight ESP will manage, and Progent will monitor your network and react to alerts that call for urgent attention. Progent can also help you to set up and verify a backup and restore solution like ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can recover rapidly from a destructive security attack like ransomware. Find out more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection unified endpoint security and Microsoft Exchange email filtering.